Pleiospilos is a genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 of South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

n succulent plants that belong to the Aizoaceae

Aizoaceae

The Family Aizoaceae or Ficoidaceae is a taxon of dicotyledonous flowering plants containing 135 genera and about 1900 species. They are commonly known as stone plants or carpet weeds. Species that resemble stones or pebbles are sometimes called mesembs...

 family. The name is derived from the Greek “pleios” (many) and “spìlos” (spot). The plants are also known as kwaggavy (Quagga mesemb), lewerplant (liver plant), lewervygie (liver mesemb), klipplant (stone plant) and split rock from their rock like appearance.

Description

Pleiospilos species have two or four opposite grey-green leaves that grow from a short stem that may be underground. Flowers emerge from the center of the leaves.

Pleiospilos species reproduce both sexually and asexually. Vegetative offshoots emerge from the root system. Seed set occurs in early spring around March.

Species

• Pleiospilos bolusii
• Pleiospilos compactus
  • P. compactus subsp. compactus
  • P. compactus subsp. canus
  • P. compactus subsp. minor
  • P. compactus subsp. fergusoniae
  • P. compactus subsp. sororius
• Pleiospilos leipoldtii
• Pleiospilos nelii
• Pleiospilos simulans